a blog by Pawlean

Thoughts into pixels since 2008 ✨

November, For Me

Lake Como
Lake Como, Italy

Main highlights

University & Work

  • 📚 Started two new modules for the second half of this semester – Modelling Human Diseases and Bioinformatics where I’m learning how to code in R!
  • ✏️ I wrote a blog post on why enterprise is important for me for the University of Sheffield Enterprise.

Travel

  • ✈️ Trip to Milan – A rocky time during the month, but I learnt a lot for future trips!

Development

  • 🏆 Nominated for “Person with Purpose” for the Northern Power Women Awards 💫
  • 📹 Exciting media-related project 🤩
  • 👩🏻‍🏫 #ShefCodeFirst continues – I led a session on Bootstrap this month!
  • 👩🏻‍💻 I applied for a freelance Web Development job at University and managed to get it!

  • 👯‍♀️ I went to Code First: Girl’s annual conference (#CFGConf17), met the most incredible people, left inspired to continue learning and working towards a career in the tech field.
  • 🎤 I gave my second ever solo-talk at ScHARR Sheffield’s “Communication for Impact” seminar on building an online voice. Blog post all about it coming soon~ In the meantime, you can read and watch my first solo talk at SHRUG here.
  • 🔬 I also completed another presentation as part of my degree. I felt a little more scared talking about science because I don’t feel like I will ever know “as much as the experts” but I did it!
  • 😔 I missed out on an event in London that I wanted to go to but wasn’t in the right frame of mind to go (exhausted from trying to catch up with uni work I was behind that week) I was beating myself over it for a while, until I was reminded by a friend that it’s okay not to attend every possible event there is. It’s okay to say no and miss out, priorities are priorities.

Personal

  • 💪🏼 Grace Fit Guide Round 2 is going well and strong! I’m lifting tiny bits heavier and still really enjoying myself. I can’t believe I’ve been exercising continuously for the past year! GO ME.
  • 💝 On the 29th of November 2016, I met Matt for the first time. We decided to meet at the same place this year, at the same time. 🤗
  • 🐣 I hit 2k followers on Twitter! 🎉

3️⃣ things I’m happy about

1) Working on my career

I’ve been working as a Developer for a month now. I still feel strange having the title on my CV and LinkedIn profile, I know I talk about not needing a degree in CompSci for a career in tech a lot but imposter syndrome still punches me in the face from time to time.

Twitter UK
#LoveWhereYouWork @ Twitter UK

I’m still not sure what I really want to do after I graduate but I know one thing for sure: I want to work in tech and I want to always make time to give back in some way. Currently, Code First: Girls has allowed me to do this and I’m so thankful. I’ve never felt so part of a community before and giving back by passing on what I know to empower those who want to do the same brings me so much fulfilment and joy!

Those are the two main things I am aiming towards and I’m happy with the work I’m putting in now that I hope will help move me in the right direction. 🌟

2) Health and well-being

I tweeted with a photo on my current body ‘update’, this month:

Every single time I compare my old photos to now, a sense of achievement washes over me. I am thanking myself (and the push from my family and friends) every single day for starting. Challenging myself with these positive habits and focus on self-love last year has CHANGED my life. My body looks good, I’m super happy with it at the moment, but the effects on my mind is the most important.

Anxiety still tries to destroy me when it can, but my mind is SO MUCH stronger. I don’t resist, I feel and let it go. Something I learnt from my daily meditation practice – thank you Calm. 🙏🏻

3) Spreading positive vibes

It puts the biggest smile on my face when people tell me that they have started meditating (especially when I see Calm on their social media feeds, I’m like YAS. YAS. YAS 😂), blogging, exercising or going outside their comfort zone because they saw me share it on social media. It’s a reminder of why I do what I do 🤗

November in photos

November photos
Twitter for CFGConf17, flying to Milan, Lake Como, Flowers, CFG, my room == happy place, Lakshika and I, #pawgains

Monthly favourites

Tech
I bought an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil after complaining for months about paper and losing paper 😅 I like writing during lectures as opposed to typing so when I found out that the iPad Pro and Pencil and a “paperless student” movement, I decided to invest! I am now an official Apple fangirl.

Apple
Apple gang!

Apps & related

Podcasts
I’ve started listening to podcasts again on my morning walk to university. These are my favourites:

 

 

Music:

Next month

Goals

  • Organise revision timetable with dun, dun, dun, January exam season coming up!
  • Write up posts I’ve been meaning to write and publish for a while
  • Keep up with my positive habits. ✨

Events

  • Dissertation deadline – I cannot wait to submit and let all the stress for that project melt away
  • I’ll be volunteering with Matt at GitHub Field Day – an unconference conference day in Nottingham 🤗
  • Completion of Code First: Girls AW 2017 courses!
  • CHRISTMAS!!!

Quote of the month

 

 

A post shared by Heidy Espaillat (@heidy.espaillat) on

Pauline

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11 responses to “November, For Me”

  1. Jae (@gorjaeous) avatar
    Jae (@gorjaeous)

    Happy anniversary to you and Matt! I must admit I got a bit lost when you posted a snap on your Instagram story, but now I get what you meant. Hahaha! Girl, you slay! Congratulations on every single achievement you unlocked this month! I’m so sorry about your misadventures during your trip to Milan, but what’s more important is that you and your friend got home safe. It’s the 1st of December, so MERRY CHRISTMAS!

    Reply
  2. Eena avatar
    Eena

    It’s been a year since you met Matt? How cute! Happy anniversary to you both! November seemed like such a busy month for you – okay but I’m convinced every month is busy for you! AND YAAASSSS APPLE ALL THE WAY! I think you’re missing an Apple Watch in that flat lay ;D

    Reply
  3. Susie @ Mile High Dreamers avatar
    Susie @ Mile High Dreamers

    Ahhhh we love ALL of this, but especially your health and fitness accomplishments! It’s honestly so crazy how being consistent and dedicated to your health has an effect on your whole life. SO proud of you lady!

    Reading about how much you fit into November is inspiring. I always say it, but you’re one busy woman! So stoked to December and all it brings. Time to celebrate!

    Susie | http://milehighdreamers.com

    Reply
  4. Tara avatar
    Tara

    I love that shot of Lake Como. What a beautiful shot! I would love to visit Italy and the rest of Europe one day.

    It’s definitely okay to miss an event or two. You’re not obligated to attend everything, and you definitely need to put yourself at the top of your priority list 🙂

    And woot for new tech toys ^^ I have no need for a tablet, but I can see how it’s useful for a lot of other people. I can definitely see it being a good note taking device.

    Have a good December!

    Reply
  5. Kya avatar
    Kya

    Congratulations on the nomination for the “Person with Purpose” and getting the web dev job with your Uni! 😀

    You have been so busy! I am glad that you were able to change perspective on the event you missed. .<

    I hope the remainder of your 2017 will be awesome. 😀

    Reply
  6. Liv avatar
    Liv

    Congrats on your nomination for “Person with a Purpose” and scoring the freelance developer job! You deserve it with all your hard work!

    I’ve been in the tech world for the past year now, and you definitely don’t need a degree in computer science to be here – most people I know do not. There’s so many things you can do in tech depending on your strengths. Whichever job you want to work at after graduating – it’s important to have a goal and a plan to get there. I think that’s what interviewers look for!

    The healthiest people need to set boundaries for what they can do. 🙂 I feel you on how it’s exhilarating to attend everything since I used to do it when I first moved here. Everything was just so exciting! And I loved meeting everybody. Lately I find myself more curious to narrow down what I really care about.

    I didn’t know there’s an Apple Pencil now. That sounds so cool! A great paperless solution! We need to inspire professors to not print stuff out anymore – it’s bad for the environment and everyone loses it.

    Reply
  7. Nancy avatar
    Nancy

    It’s great that you had a lot of progress in many aspects last month. Good job on giving some presentations and scoring a job! It’s great that you get to do what you want with CFG. I mean I had the same question about my career when I was hitting my final year in college but I guess it wasn’t where I wanted to deviate away from my field XD. You’ll figure out what you want when time gets closer!

    Hope you’ll have a great December!

    Reply
  8. Amy avatar
    Amy

    I’d love an iPad Pro, but they’re so expensive! I very nearly bought an iPad (not pro lol) in the Black Friday sales, but decided to be sensible and wait until Christmas is over. Hopefully they have some good deals on then. I WANT A PRO THOUGH.

    Aww, it’s so cute that it’s been a year since you and Matt met. I’m so happy that you found someone who’s so lovely, and someone who’s just as organised as you too. AWWWWWWWWWW.

    Congrats on achieving so much again this month. You definitely deserve to be working as a developer – you’re so amazing at what you do, and it shouldn’t matter what your degree is. Glad you’re still enjoying working with CFG too.

    Sorry that Milan wasn’t the best. Just read your post and it sounds like people were awful there. At least you learned a lot from your experience.

    Good luck with your goals for December!

    Reply
  9. Sakura avatar
    Sakura

    Congrats on getting that job! I know you will enjoy it very much!

    Is that a iPhone 7 Plus that you have?

    Reply
  10. Maroon Caludin avatar
    Maroon Caludin

    Sounds like another awesome month for you! As always your such an inspiration!

    Reply
  11. Cat avatar
    Cat

    Congrats on the nomination and on getting the freelance job! That’s amazing! As always, I love seeing how you’re going to all these tech events, and that’s great that you led a session too 🙂 That makes sense to skip over events if you’re not feeling up to it though. It’s totally ok to miss out on some. You already do a lot!

    I’m glad that you’re feeling good about your career path and your health! I also think that’s a good idea to take notes on an iPad. I used to bring my laptop to class to type things out, but it got really distracting, and I probably didn’t pay as much attention as I should have.

    I hope you have a good December!

    Reply

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